PCR-TGGE: a method for fingerprinting the microbial flora in the small intestine of pigs
Van den Bossche, A.; Van Nevel, C.; Herman, L.; Decuypere, J.; De Smet, S.; Dierick, N.; Heyndrickx, M.
Mededelingen 66(3b): 359-363
2001
ISSN/ISBN: 1373-7503 PMID: 15954619 Document Number: 537791
The bacterial flora of the small intestine is still not fully understood. This is also due to the fact that a lot of these gut inhabitants aren't cultivable. PCR-TGGE (Temperature Gradient Gel Electrophoresis) is a molecular tool by which the 16S ribosomal DNA of a bacterial community can be studied for its diversity. Based on sequence differences in the variable region V6-V8, 16S ribosomal DNA fragments are separated during a TGGE run. This study shows that PCR-TGGE is a valuable tool as it gives additional information about the flora composition that could not be found with classical bacteriological techniques.